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I had a great time on the Star two weeks ago. How often do the shows change? If I were to take a cruise on another NCL ship next summer, would I see the same shows? We saw Second City, a few Jean Ryan, Sharkbait (jugglers) and comedy/hypnotist whose name I don't remember.

Yes, you will probably see the same shows next year on the Star.
Jean Anne Ryan Productions is usually booked for a ship over many years.
But the performers are under contract for just 7 or 8 months, including rehearsal time before joining a ship.
The shows will probably be the same, but not all the dancers.
The ensemble of dancers are always tweaking the shows, so there will always be minor differences in the show from year to year.

Other acts, stand up comedians, magicians, etc. are only booked for months. From year to year, these acts will change.

How often do shows change? Certainly, not often enough. Bollywood and South Beach Rave have been on the Dawn for four years and will probably continue next year. I strongly feel that new shows should be brought in at least every 2 years especially on ships that have a large repeat clientele. I don't think this applies to 2nd City Improv comedy in which no two shows are alike but those production shows should not go on forever especially since they rarely provide music by long running Broadway composers. By the way, who wrote the music for Bollywood? Those lush costumes would have been far better utilized with the music of Kismet by Borodin whose melodies have endured for multi-decades.

How often do shows change? Certainly, not often enough. Bollywood and South Beach Rave have been on the Dawn for four years and will probably continue next year. I strongly feel that new shows should be brought in at least every 2 years especially on ships that have a large repeat clientele. I don't think this applies to 2nd City Improv comedy in which no two shows are alike but those production shows should not go on forever especially since they rarely provide music by long running Broadway composers. By the way, who wrote the music for Bollywood? Those lush costumes would have been far better utilized with the music of Kismet by Borodin whose melodies have endured for multi-decades.

Will it be replacing an old show, or another act? It's good to see even a few changes.

But I understand the economics behind producing these shows. When aboard the Sun last year, the Jean Anne Ryan ensemble had a question and answer session. They stated shows usually run for 8 years to return their investment into the show. Their shows use real broadway costumes from various shows, which require a full time seamstress just to keep the costumes in good repair. They stated how long they had been aboard the ship, how long their individual contracts were for, about rehearsals, and falls caused by rough seas. The session was very informative.
These shows consume much money and time in advance. That's why they seem to last on cruise ships forever. Art is never cheap. Neither are any live performances.